This invention relates to an operating system for an elevator which is intended to be utilized by only specified people.
In an elevator, when a passenger having gotten into a cage depresses a destination button on an operation panel disposed in the cage, a call is registered, and the cage is run to a floor indicated by the destination button.
In recent years, however, an elevator which can be utilized by only specified people has been required. By way of example, it is desired of an elevator installed in a condominium that only the inhabitants of the condominium and persons permitted to enter by the inhabitants can use the elevator. One system used in such a case, wherein operation buttons are provided separately from destination buttons so that only those who know the predetermined operating sequence of the operation buttons can register calls is described in, for example, the official gazette of Japanese Utility Model Registration application Laid-open No. 57-99875.
When, when the operating sequence of the operation buttons becomes known by outsiders, the usefulness of the system for crime prevention is lost. Therefore, a system wherein the operating sequence can be altered has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration application Laid-open No. 58-27264.
FIG. 8 is a block circuit diagram showing the prior-art operating system for an elevator disclosed in the Japanese document. In that figure, numerals 1-6 designate cipher code button signals which become a high level, "H" when corresponding cipher code buttons (not shown) arranged on an operation panel within a cage are depressed. A cipher code changeover switch 8 is manually operated. Numerals 9-13 indicate first-fifth cipher code setting circuits respectively, which are connected to the cipher code changeover switch 8 and in which different operating sequences of the cipher code buttons are stored. First-fifth cipher code setting relays 14-18 serve as the output relays of the first-fifth cipher code setting circuits 9-13, respectively.
In such a prior-art operating system for an elevator, assume the cipher code changeover switch 8 is switched to the first cipher code setting circuit 9 and that the first cipher code setting circuit 9 has stored the sequence of cipher code button signals 1.fwdarw.3.fwdarw.5 as the cipher code. Then, when a passenger in the cage operates the cipher code buttons in that sequence to input the cipher code button signals 1, 3 and 5 to the first cipher code setting circuit 9, the output of this circuit becomes "H", the first cipher code setting relay 14 is energized and the elevator is switched to a first specified operation.
If the cipher code changeover switch 8 is switched to the second cipher code setting circuit 10, only when the operating sequence of the cipher code buttons agrees with a sequence set in the second cipher code setting circuit 10 (for example, the sequence of the cipher code button signals 2.fwdarw.4.fwdarw.6), does the output of the second cipher code setting circuit 10 becomes "H" to energize the second cipher code setting relay 15. The elevator is then switched to a second dedicated operation.
In this way, the cipher code is prevented from becoming easily known to outsiders.
In the prior-art operating system for an elevator described above, the cipher code is changed-over for one cage. In a case where a plurality of cages are installed, there is the problem that the cipher codes need to be changed-over for each of the cages, which is troublesome for a person in charge. Another problem is that, since a plurality of changingover manipulations are performed, mistakes are more apt to be made.